Follow Dr Jago Cooper on his travels through Ecuador and Peru with the BBC

At the northernmost reach of the ancient Inca Empire, Ecuador is small, accessible, and epitomises the best of Latin America from magnificent scenery to elegant old Spanish towns and wonderful wildlife.

High in the Andean sierra, two great chains of volcanic mountains run from north to south. The fertile valley between them - Humboldt’s ‘avenue of the volcanoes’ - is dotted with beautiful haciendas. If you’re feeling intrepid, you can ride a rickety steam train that descends through the Andes in a series of zigzags and switchbacks known as ‘the devil’s nose’, crossing dramatic gorges on the way.

Both Quito and Cuenca’s cobbled streets have some of the best-preserved colonial architecture anywhere in the Americas. Ubiquitous hats, ponchos and woven rugs are sold in colourful craft markets. You can combine a trip to hot springs or rose gardens with a night at a historic hacienda, or saddle up with the chagras for some superb riding.

East of the Andes the terrain drops through cloud forest - teeming with exotic bird life - into the Amazon basin. Nearly half the country is covered in humid jungle, best explored by dugout canoe. Here indigenous people still live as they have for thousands of years, scarcely touched by the outside world.

Highlights

Here are some of our Ecuador highlights

Historic cities

Although Quito is Ecuador's capital, the colonial city of Cuenca is also well worth a visit. Both have historic centres with beautiful buildings, 17th century churches and monasteries and picture postcard cobblestone streets.

The mighty Amazon

Much of the country is covered by Amazon rainforest, although the Ecuadorean Amazon is much-less visited than that of its Brazilian neighbour. Indigenous tribes live along the river banks and there are lodges offering wildlife or cultural stays.

Bustling markets

Ecuador is a country awash with markets and Otavalo's Saturday animal market is arguably the most famous, but there are equally interesting (and cleaner!) markets in Cotacachi, Quito and further south in Cuenca.

Traditional haciendas

Ecuador has many haciendas at which visitors can enjoy a unique stay. Hacienda San Agustin near Cotopaxi National Park was partly built (by the Spanish) on an Inca palace, the original stones of which can still be seen.

Sue put together a superb itinerary for Peru and Galapagos - a great combination of cities, tours, a 1 day trek and the small boat, Beluga, on the Galapagos was first class. We were fortunate to have on board one of the best naturalists who, not only knew everything! but looked after us all so well - accommodating non-snorkelers with panga rides to see fish etc. from the boat. The local agent in Peru was also excellent, providing great guides, drivers and vehicles. We had a wonderful first experience of Latin America and we would definitely recommend/use Last Frontiers for a future trip to Latin America - we loved it and hope to return again to a different country in the near future. Your attention to detail and the companies you used were all first class. - RV

When to go

The Ecuadorean highlands have cool nights and warmer days year round. The north has a wet season from January to May and the south from October to early May, but almost always with several hours of sunshine in the morning. The coast has a hot rainy season from January to May whilst the wettest months in the Amazon are from April to September.

Information

FCO advice

Capital

Health

No inoculations are mandatory although you should be up-to-date on tetanus, typhoid and polio. Malaria is required for lowland areas (not the Galapagos) such as the coasts and the Amazon.

Visas

Not required for most nationalities for 90 day stays. New Zealand citizens need visas.

Money

The official currency is the US dollar: take small clean (not torn) notes. Visa is the mostly commonly accepted credit card, but you will often be charged a surcharge for using it. Cash may also be obtained from ATMs, mostly available in cities (check for the relevant symbols on the machine). In Quito you will find the largest number of ATMs/banks on Avenida Amazonas. Travellers cheques are not easily exchanged.

Gastronomy

Food in Ecuador varies from region to region and is generally very tasty. In the highlands, choclo (corn), papas (potatoes) and maíz (maize) are the staples. Humita is ground corn steamed in corn leaves, empanadas de morocho is a ground corn shell filled with meat, locro de papas is potato and cheese soup and llapingachos are fried potato and cheese pasties - all delicious. On the coast, seafood especially ceviche, (marinated fish) is popular, as are encocados – a mix of coconut milk and seafood. In the Oriente (Amazon), yuca (manioc or cassava root) is popular. Roast cuy (guinea pig) is a national delicacy if you are feeling adventurous.

Telephones

The telephone system is overloaded and can be very frustrating. The exit code is 00 and country code 593 (for incoming calls). Local calls are cheap and national and international ones expensive. Always check prices before using the telephone at hotels, as they often mark up international and long-distance calls considerably. Phone cards (tarjetas) are available, which can be used at many public phone boxes though generally not for international calls. If you have a BT Chargecard then it may be worth taking it. You can dial 178 (free) from a few telephones and will be connected straight to the BT operator in the UK. The international code for the UK is 44.

Area

270,670kmē

Population

12 million

Time zone

GMT-5

Voltage

Mainly 110V

Language

Official language is Spanish. About 50% of the population is Quichua, though most speak Spanish too. In the larger cities you will find people who speak English, but not in remoter parts. Any effort to learn or brush up on your Spanish will be repaid many times over. Most Ecuadorians are Roman Catholics.

Driving

Traffic drives on the right. Roads are barely signposted and generally in poor condition, so we do not recommend driving yourself unless your Spanish is good and you have previous experience of driving in Latin America.